"Cheezy" Potato Dish

When I was in college and single (okay and maybe into my college married days) some of my favorite quick sides and "college" food were those packaged potatoes, you know the little flakes where you just add water or milk and you have instant fake potatoes!!! Yep you bet those were the days! My favorite flavor was the cheesy potatoes.

Fast forward to today and I have come to understand that real food is obviously the better option for my family and I, I don't enjoy the salty taste in those potatoes and I mean really...can you honestly beat the taste of real mashed potatoes!!!! My Grandma always used to make mashed potatoes then put them in a casserole dish and bake them for awhile! MMMMMM...they were so great and had so much less fat because it had no cheese, I used almond milk, and vegan margarine, all in all adding up to about 120 calories! Well I have found out that just because I choose a healthy diet, doesn't mean I need to give up foods I love! Really...so I decided to do a remake on my old, fake cheesy potato days with a little of my grandma's spin on things.

So instead of fake flakes and extra sodium, I've loaded this yummy side dish up with real red potatoes (or any potato you'd like) chopped some real garlic, seasonings, and for my cheesy taste, I threw in some nutritional yeast! I am pleased to announce...I ain't missin' a thing from the fake potatoes!!!! This is fast, easy, and such a great addition to any meal!!!! Get creative, and remember being a healthy eater doesn't mean you give up things or it doesn't restrain your tastes, I've never had a problem being satisfied with how I eat, I don't crave the things I used to eat so it's not a problem! Eating healthy can give you more freedom actually with health and the way you feel about yourself! You can really find ways to clean up recipes from anywhere, and personally I think it's really fun to try!

Cheezy Potato Dish

5 red potatoes

1 1/2 tsp onion powder

1 garlic clove, shredded (optional)

1/2 C nutritional yeast

1 1/2 tsp paprika

1 tsp vegan margarine

milk as needed (I used Almond Milk)

Dice potatoes, skin included. Add to pot and cover with water, bring to a boil then cover and simmer for about 10-15 minutes until potatoes are tender. Drain water from potatoes and add  margarine and milk and mash or whip the potatoes until you have your desired texture, personally I leave mine a little chunky. Add remaining ingredients and mix well, you could even whip all the ingredients again to make sure they are well combined. Place the potatoes into an 8x8 baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Sprinkle top with paprika! Enjoy!

*you can skip the baking and just eat them out of the pot if you'd like!